Rolly Romero claims retirement, blames ‘ducking’ stars for year-long absence

Rolly Romero claims retirement, blames ‘ducking’ stars for year-long absence By Latest Boxing WBA welterweight champion Rolly Romero has announced he is stepping away from the sport, insisting his 12+ month layoff is entirely because every top name has refused to face him. “I got ducked by literally everybody. Devin Haney, Conor Benn, Ryan Garcia, Pacquiao… nobody wanted to fight me,” Romero declared, confirming he is effectively retired after not competing since May 2, 2025 . We fact-check every claim: ✅ No fight in over a year: Accurate. His last bout was a decision win over Ryan Garcia in Times Square, New York – exactly one year and 19 days ago . ❌ Ryan Garcia ducked him: False. They did fight. Romero beat Garcia, and while a rematch was discussed, it never materialized due to scheduling and promotional issues, not refusal . ❌ Devin Haney ducked him: Partially true. Negotiations collapsed earlier this year. Romero says he offered a 50/50 split; Haney’s side demanded a far higher guarantee and publicly said “the money isn’t right” and Romero “isn’t a big enough draw.” Talks broke down over terms, not outright refusal. ❌ Conor Benn ducked him: Unproven. Promoters held preliminary discussions, but no formal offer or contract was ever presented or rejected. The fight was never close to being made. ❌ Manny Pacquiao ducked him: False. Pacquiao has been retired since 2021. There were zero serious talks, proposals or even genuine interest from either side – he was never a realistic opponent. Romero holds the WBA belt but has been ordered to face mandatory challengers, which he has repeatedly delayed. While he did struggle to land big names, the full story is far more complex than simply “everyone ducked me.”

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